Egraphs Shutters Operations Less Than A Year After Formal Launch

Startup digital autograph outfit Egraphs has ceased operations less than a year after formally launching. Based in Seattle and backed in part by Rays Owner Stuart Sternberg, the company sought to forge a niche in which made-to-order autographs were created using iPads equipped with a special stylus. The company quickly aligned itself with hundreds of pro athletes and celebrities, particularly in baseball and basketball, and had league licenses with MLB, MLBAM and the NBA. But it ran into issues with cashflow and was sued last year by Florida-based Autography LLC for fraud, breach of contract and trade secret misappropriation.

"We ran into some unforeseen obstacles that ultimately prevented us from continuing to operate," said company CEO David Auld as part of a statement posted on the Egraphs website. "We gave Egraphs everything we had but the landscape proved a little too treacherous."